Top tips: healthy living for preschoolers (2023)

Claire Parris e Shilpa Shah

This is not a new conceptChildren's health and illness affect lifelong health.To improve the health of future generations and society as a whole, we mustFocus on the health of our children.Early childhood is a time when a child's lifelong habits are formed andThe family lifestyle is open to change and adjustment. There are many factors that affect children's health, and as pediatricians we have a responsibility to support families in all aspects of well-being.

In this article we give you someImportant tips to promote a healthy lifein preschoolers - emphasispractical stepsParents can take it home and highlight some features that are perfect for sharing.

be active

The NHS recommends that preschool-aged children do at least some physical activity180 minutes a day including active, outdoor play; but only 9% of 2- to 4-year-olds achieve this, and84% participate less than 1 hour a day. The statistics speak for themselves. This is an area that could do with a lot of improvement and is strongly linked to the rise in sedentary screen time (which is covered further down the list...).

Children should be encouraged to playrun, dance, jump, climb, sing children's songs with actions -all these things contribute to your 3 hours of physical activity a day. Add in everyday outdoor play by going to the park, playing football or just walking around the garden and the NHS recommendations can be met.

Here are some great resources forGames and activities for preschoolers:

• NHS Start4Life: activities for kids
• Get the kids moving: classroom activities
• 49 fun physical activities for children aged 2 to 4 years

eat well

A healthy and balanced diet is essentialensure optimal growth and nutrition of children and can help prevent disease. Along with physical activity, good nutrition to maintain a healthy weight during childhood affects long-term health. Currently, howeverMore than a fifth of children in the UK are overweight or obese when they start school. Studies suggest yes.Obesity at age fivepredicts that adult obesity is associated with an increased risk of obesity-related diseases, including heart disease, diabetes, and hypercholesterolemia. The preschool years are therefore crucial for developing lifelong healthy eating habits.

So what does healthy eating mean for preschoolers?Represents a variety of foodsincluding the important “5 a day” fruits and vegetables and limiting processed and sugary foods. Adequatechild-sized portionsare also crucial. Healthy eating in children should not be seen in isolationreflects family eating habitsThus, promoting healthy meals throughout the family is the best way to improve preschoolers' diets.

Resources for healthy eating, preschool nutritional needs, and recipes for healthy family meals:

• Nutrition throughout life - preschool children
• Eatwell's record
• Change4Life recipes

Read a story every day

The simple act of reading to a child has far-reaching health benefits. Thisimproves future reading skills, vocabulary,imagination and understanding.

The American Academy of Pediatrics sees literacy promotion as aessential part of basic services: “Read regularly with young childrenstimulates optimal patterns of brain developmentand strengthens parent-child relationships at a critical stage of child development, which in turndevelops language, reading and social-emotional skillsthat last a lifetime."

Incorporate story time into the preschool routineit can be easy and fun. Here are some helpful resources for parents about reading to young children and accessing books:

• Why It's Never Too Early To Read With Your Baby
• Bookstart: Free books for all children in England and Wales in two key preschool stages

Limit screen time

Screen time, whether on television, tablet, computer or smartphone, is common in all age groups.The use of electronic screens is not “bad” per se.

It provides a means of communication, educational and entertainment opportunities. However, caution is warranted with preschool-aged children for several reasons. Excessive use of the screen has been identified with iincreased BMI, lack of sleep, behavioral problems, and decreased mental well-being, although causal relationships are unclear.

The RCPCH has not set a recommended screen time limit; instead encourage parents to do soasks a series of important questions to examine screen usage. Ultimately, it advises parents to build screen time around family activities, not the other way around.

1. Is screen time controlled in your home?
2. Is screen use interfering with your family's activities?
3. Or do I use canvas interferes aren't they?
4. Can you control snacks during screen time?

The American Society of Pediatrics goes further and recommends limiting screen use toone hour of quality programming per dayy in the age group of 2 to 5 years. Ultimately, parents play an important role in helping children navigate the media, and their facilitation is key to ensuring healthy development.

Practical ways to get startedScreen time limits:

• Screen Time Limits - Advice for parents of 0-7 year olds
• RCPCH Data Sheet - Screen Time

Don't forget the vaccines!

Vaccination is essential to protect children and society at large against communicable diseases.

(Video) Kids! Small Steps to a Healthy You

Also,Studies suggestnon-specific effects on children's healthin addition to specific protection against diseases, including greater reductions in mortality than predicted by preventing target infections. Despite its advantages vaccine protectiondropped for all routine vaccinations across England and Walesduring the past year. This is due in part to the widespread spread of misinformation and “fake news” about vaccine safety.

At the foundation where I currently work, a group of nurses and doctors started a unique project -'The Pro Vac Movement'– Promote positive conversations about vaccine safety. To find out more about this and how you can get involved, listen to “2 Paeds in a Pod“ Sheet 45where dr Ian Lewins ST1 intern Dr. Aimee Henry and pediatric consultant Dr. Shilpa Shah interviewed.

More information aboutVaccine Safety:

• Oxford Vaccine Knowledge Project
• NHS Vaccination Board

A powerful book that highlights the compelling story of Professor David Isaacs' vaccinations is well worth reading. It's called 'Defeat the Ministers of Death."

A multivitamin a day keeps the doctor away

vitamins have awide range of important biological functions, and deficiency contributes to a spectrum of diseases. A healthy, balanced diet naturally includes foods that contain important vitamins and minerals.However, it's difficult to get enough vitamin D from food alone.Lack of sunlight, especially in winter, can lead to vitamin D deficiency.

The Ministry of Health recommends that all children aged 6 months to 5 years:daily vitamin supplement with vitamins A, C and D. It is important to check the dosage on the label, as only one recent study found it.25-36% of commercially available multivitamins contained the recommended 400 IU/day of vitamin D.

Parents in the UK can access itfree vitaminsregarding thehealthy start program.

get enough sleep

sleep isimportant for normal growth and development. Studies suggest that there is a link betweensleep, behavior and cognitionalready in the preschool years.

sound problems, such asDifficulty falling asleep, night awakening, and night terrors are commonin young children with a prevalence of 45% in children aged 3 to 6 years and can affect the whole family. Apart from that,bad sleep in childrenhas been linked to obesity,behavioral problems and more screen time.

What is good sleep?The American Academy of Sleep Medicine recommends that preschool-age children need10-13 hours of sleep a day. Promoting healthy sleep in young children focuses on aconsistent bedtime routine. Characteristics of this "routine" include going to bed at the same time each day, in a relaxed atmosphere, with caregiver-like communication. B. a bedtime story or lullabies.

These are some resources for parents aboutEstablishing a Positive Bedtime Routine:

• Brush, book, bed: this is how you structure your child's nighttime routine
• NHS tips for healthy sleep for children
• A collection of Children's Sleep Charity leaflets

Final thoughts…

As pediatricians, one of our most important responsibilities is to empower parents to take positive steps that can improve their child's health now and in the future.

Promoting healthy living during the preschool years leads to lifelong positive habits. The lifestyle factors discussed in this article are so intertwined that it's important to look at the lifestyle as a whole, not its individual parts.

(Video) Healthy Lifestyle

Related